Sunday 31st PENTECOST SUNDAY
Monday 1st Mary, Mother of the Church
Tuesday 2nd Feria
Wednesday 3rd St Charles Lwanga & companions
Thursday 4th Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest
Friday 5th St Boniface of Crediton
Saturday 6th St Norbert, bishop
Sunday 7th THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
Monday 1st Mary, Mother of the Church
Tuesday 2nd Feria
Wednesday 3rd St Charles Lwanga & companions
Thursday 4th Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest
Friday 5th St Boniface of Crediton
Saturday 6th St Norbert, bishop
Sunday 7th THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
Pentecost Sunday
Sunday Readings
First Reading 1 Acts 2:1-11
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travellers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”
Second Reading 2 1 Cor 12:3B-7, 12-13
Brothers and sisters: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Sequence
Holy Spirit, Lord of light,
From thy clear celestial height
Thy pure beaming radiance give,
Come, thou Father of the poor,
Come with treasures which endure,
Come, thou light of all that live.
Thou, of all consolers best,
Thou, the soul's delightful guest,
Dost refreshing peace bestow;
Thou in toil art comfort sweet,
Pleasant coolness in the heat,
Solace in the midst of woe
Light immortal, Light divine,
Visit thou these hearts of thine,
And our inmost being fill;
If thou take thy grace away.
Nothing pure in man will stay—
All his good is turn'd to ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew,
On our dryness pour thy dew,
Wash the stains of guilt away,
Bend the stubborn heart and will,
Melt the frozen, warm the chill,
Guide the steps that go astray.
Thou on those who evermore
Thee confess and thee adore,
In thy sevenfold gifts descend;
Give them comfort when they die,
Give them life with thee on high,
Give them joys which never end.
Gospel John 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Pentecost
After Jesus had ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, the apostles and disciples returned to the Holy City. They remained together in the Upper Room or Cenacle, the place where Jesus had appeared to them and which may well be called the first Christian church. About a hundred and twenty persons were assembled there. They chose Matthias as an apostle in place of the unhappy Judas; they prayed and waited for the Paraclete. Ten days had passed, it was Sunday, the seventh Sunday after the resurrection. At about nine o'clock in the morning, as they were together praying fervently, the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Note how all the great visible manifestations of Christ’s deity in his life occurred during the course of prayer. After his baptism, for instance, when Jesus was praying, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove; likewise, it was during prayer at night that the transfiguration took place on Tabor. Surely too it was while Mary was praying that Gabriel delivered his message, and the Holy Spirit overshadowed her. Pentecost followed precedent. The small community of Christians had prepared themselves through prayer for the coming of the Paraclete. The same is true at Mass today, every day; through prayer we ready our souls for the advent of the Spirit. The descent upon the apostles was internal and invisible in nature although accompanied by certain visible phenomena. There came a mighty roar, like the onrush of a violent wind. It came suddenly, from heaven; but unlike storms that strike a structure from without, this one penetrated and filled the room where the disciples were gathered. Therefore it was not a natural wind, it was a miracle peculiar to the occasion. A second visible sign consisted of tongues of fire that descended upon each one present. These fiery tongues gave visible evidence that the Holy Spirit had descended upon them. Today at Mass, particularly at Holy Communion, the power of the Holy Spirit will come down upon us; fiery tongues will not be seen, but invisible tongues of fire will not be absent. There was still another external manifestation of the Holy Spirit; the apostles and disciples were enabled to speak various languages. After the roar of the wind many of Jerusalem's pilgrims hurried to the Cenacle. Pentecost was one of the three festivals which obliged all Jews to be present in Jerusalem. Jews from distant lands, and Jewish converts from paganism too, attended these feasts. As a result, a colourful crowd speaking a variety of languages surrounded the house. Now the apostles, who so shortly before had hid in fear behind locked doors, came forth and courageously walked among the multitude speaking to each in his native tongue. It was indeed amazing! Galileans, and multilingual? But the malicious too were present; they had the answer. Nothing marvellous at all! Those Galileans were simply drunk, and their drunken babble sounded like a foreign language! Peter showed no hesitation in answering the charge. None of their number, he said, was intoxicated; it was but nine o'clock in the morning, and at that hour men usually are sober. What the multitude saw was, in fact, the fulfilment of Joel's prophecy: In those days (of the Messiah), God will pour forth His Spirit upon men and they will prophesy. . . . Then the apostle pointed his words more directly against the accusers: they had killed Jesus, had nailed him to the Cross; but God had awakened him and after his departure to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit. The pilgrims who had heard Peter give this first pentecostal sermon "were pierced to the heart and said: Brethren, what shall we do? But Peter said to them: Repent and be baptised; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Three thousand responded. One final question: why the miracle of tongues? In answer, recall the story regarding the tower of Babel. Puffed up by pride, men attempted to build a tower that would touch the heavens. To punish their sin, God confused their speech. Sin causes confusion and division. Now Christ came to gather all men into his Church and thereby to unite them to himself. This should result in creating but one family of nations again. To this blessed state the miracle of tongues points. Yes, even we as individuals have a gift of tongues which all men can understand. It is the gift of love infused into us by the Holy Spirit. Love unites, love is a common language, by means of love we can speak to all nations.
Mary Mother of the Church
Pope Francis has decreed that the ancient devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Mother of the Church, be inserted into the Roman Calendar. The liturgical celebration, B. Mariæ Virginis, Ecclesiæ Matris, will be celebrated annually as a Memorial on the day after Pentecost.
By issuing the Decree on the celebration of the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, Pope Francis wishes to promote this devotion in order to “encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, religious and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine Marian piety”.
The decree reflects on the history of Marian theology in the Church’s liturgical tradition and the writings of the Church Fathers. It says Saint Augustine and Pope Saint Leo the Great both reflected on the Virgin Mary’s importance in the mystery of Christ. “In fact the former [St. Augustine] says that Mary is the mother of the members of Christ, because with charity she cooperated in the rebirth of the faithful into the Church, while the latter [St. Leo the Great] says that the birth of the Head is also the birth of the body, thus indicating that Mary is at once Mother of Christ, the Son of God, and mother of the members of his Mystical Body, which is the Church.” The decree says these reflections are a result of the “divine motherhood of Mary and from her intimate union in the work of the Redeemer." Scripture, the decree says, depicts Mary at the foot of the Cross (cf. John 19:25). There she became the Mother of the Church when she “accepted her Son’s testament of love and welcomed all people in the person of the beloved disciple as sons and daughters to be reborn unto life eternal.” In 1964, the decree says, Pope Paul VI “declared the Blessed Virgin Mary as ‘Mother of the Church, that is to say of all Christian people, the faithful as well as the pastors, who call her the most loving Mother’ and established that 'the Mother of God should be further honoured and invoked by the entire Christian people by this most tender of titles.’”
St. Charles Lwanga and Companions
Charles was one of twenty-two Ugandan martyrs who converted from paganism. He was baptised in November 1885, a year before his death, and became a moral leader. He was the chief of the royal pages and was considered the strongest athlete of the court. He was also known as "the most handsome man of the Kingdom of the Uganda." He instructed his friends in the Catholic Faith and he personally baptised boy pages. He inspired and encouraged his companions to remain chaste and faithful. He protected his companions, ages 13-30, from the immoral acts and homosexual demands of the Babandan ruler, Mwanga. Mwanga was a superstitious pagan king who originally was tolerant of Catholicism. However, his chief assistant, Katikiro, slowly convinced him that Christians were a threat to his rule. The premise was if these Christians would not bow to him, nor make sacrifices to their pagan god, nor pillage, massacre, nor make war, what would happen if his whole kingdom converted to Catholicism? When Charles was sentenced to death, he seemed very peaceful, one might even say, cheerful. He was to be executed by being burned to death. While the pyre was being prepared, he asked to be untied so that he could arrange the sticks. He then lay down upon them. When the executioner said that Charles would be burned slowly to death, Charles replied by saying that he was very glad to be dying for the True Faith. He made no cry of pain but just twisted and moaned, "Kotanda! (O my God!)." He was burned to death by Mwanga's order on June 3, 1886. Pope Paul VI canonized Charles Lwanga and his companions on June 22,1964. We celebrate his memorial on June 3rd on the Roman Calendar. Charles is the Patron of the African Youth of Catholic Action.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest
The Feast of Christ the Priest is a moveable liturgical feast celebrated annually on the first Thursday after Pentecost. Approval for this feast was first granted by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 1987. The feast focuses firstly on Jesus’ Priestly Office (Latin: Munus sacerdotale). He is considered the model for believers, and for the clergy in particular, with priests acting In persona Christi (“In the person of Christ”). The laity are thus urged to pray that priests would be more like Christ, the compassionate and trustworthy high priest (Hebrews 2:17), ever-living to intercede for humanity before The Father (Heb 7:25). The Second Vatican Council taught many things about the Priesthood of Christ, and sharing in that one Priesthood through the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Orders. This development has been reflected in many subsequent documents. One effective way to build upon this teaching is to establish the Feast of Christ the Priest more widely. What Pope Pius XI wrote about the feast in honour of Christ’s Kingly Office can be said just as truly about this feast in honour of Our Lord’s Priesthood: “For people are instructed in the truths of faith, and brought to appreciate the inner joys of religion far more effectually by the annual celebration of our sacred mysteries than by any official pronouncement of the teaching of the Church. Such pronouncements usually reach only a few and the more learned among the faithful; feasts reach them all; the former speak but once, the latter speak every year - in fact, forever.”
St Boniface
St. Boniface, a monk of Exeter, is one of the great figures of the Benedictine Order and of the monastic apostolate in the Middle Ages. Gregory II sent him to preach the Gospel in Germany. He evangelised Hesse, Saxony and Thuringia and became Archbishop of Mainz. He deservedly earned the title of Apostle of Germany, and Catholic Germany in our own times still venerates him as its father in the faith. He was put to death by the Frisians at Dokkum in 754 during the last of his missionary journeys. The famous abbey of Fulda, where his body lies, has remained the national shrine of Catholic Germany.
A Benedictine monk, he was chosen by divine Providence to become Germany's great apostle and patron. Boniface's first missionary endeavour proved unsuccessful (716). Before attempting a second he went to Rome and received papal authorisation (718). Under the holy bishop Willibrord he converted Frisia within a period of three years. On November 30, 722, Boniface was consecrated bishop by Pope Gregory II. In 724 he turned his attention to the Hessian people, among whom he continued his missionary activity with renewed zeal. On an eminence near the village of Geismar on the Eder, he felled a giant oak that the people honoured as the national sanctuary of the god Thor. Boniface used the wood to build a chapel in honour of St. Peter. This courageous act assured the eventual triumph of the Gospel in Germany. The resident clergy and the priests dwelling at the court, whose unworthy lives needed censure, were constantly creating difficulties. Nevertheless Boniface continued to labour quietly, discreetly. He prayed unceasingly, put his trust in God alone, recommended his work to the prayers of his spiritual brothers and sisters in England. And God did not abandon him. Conversions were amazingly numerous. In 732 Gregory III sent him the pallium, the insignia of the archiepiscopal dignity. Boniface now devoted his time and talent to the ecclesiastical organisation of the Church in Germany. He installed worthy bishops, set diocesan boundaries, promoted the spiritual life of the clergy and laity, held national synods (between 742 and 747), and in 744 founded the monastery of Fulda, which became a centre of religious life in central Germany. In 745 he chose Mayence for his archiepiscopal see, and affiliated to it thirteen dioceses. This completed the ecclesiastical organisation of Germany.
The final years of his busy life were spent, as were his earlier ones, in missionary activity. Word came to him in 754 that a part of Frisia had lapsed from the faith. He took leave of his priests and, sensing the approach of death, carried along a shroud. He was 74 years of age when with youthful enthusiasm he began the work of restoration, a mission he was not to complete. A band of semi-barbarous pagans overpowered and put him to death when he was about to administer confirmation to a group of neophytes at Dockum.
St Norbert
St. Norbert was born at Xanten near Cologne about the year 1080. As a young cleric he resided at the court of the Archbishop of Cologne and then at that of the emperor where he allowed himself to be influenced by the spirit of the world. Although a cleric, Norbert led a very worldly life for a number of years. The decisive change took place suddenly in 1115. While riding one day, he was overtaken by a thunderstorm. A flash of lightning struck the ground before him, the horse threw him, and he seemed to hear a voice upbraiding him for his conduct. As in the case of St. Paul, the experience wrought a complete transformation. Norbert decided to give away his property and income rights, and to lead a life of self-denial, devoting himself particularly to preaching. In 1120 he founded the Order of Premonstratensians (the first monastery was at Premontre) according to the rule of St. Augustine; approval came from Pope Honorius II in 1126. In 1125, he was named archbishop of Magdeburg. On July 13, 1126, Norbert entered the city and came barefoot to the cathedral. About to enter the archepiscopal palace, he was refused admission by the porter, who failed to recognise a bishop so poorly dressed. "You know me better and see me with clearer eyes than those who are forcing me to this palace. Poor and wretched man that I am, I should never have been assigned to this place," Norbert answered when the porter later sought his pardon. He died in 1134.
Mass online:
Several parishioners have used the link on the Home Page of the parish website which allows them to view Mass being celebrated at a variety of churches:
* The Cathedralin Nottingham on each day of the week. (https://www.churchservices.tv/nottinghamcathedral)
The schedule is as follows:
On Saturdays and Sundays: Mass at 10.00am
From Monday to Friday: Mass at 1.00pm
* Also on the parish website, an additional link has been added to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsinghamwhose new website provides live streaming 24/7 of Masses, Prayers (Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet), Exposition, Spiritual Readings and Talks. This is a rich source of material in these extraordinary times.(https://www.walsingham.org.uk/live-stream/)
* Mass celebrated daily by Pope Francis from the Vaticanis also available: http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html
* There is another excellent suggestion from Paul Carroll: St Alban’s & St Hugh’s, Derby. Daily and Sunday Masses are at 10.00am except for Thursday when Mass is at 7.00pm. Paul writes: “Fr David Cain has lay readers from their homes and deacons from their homes either reading the Gospel or delivering the Homily. He also uses other priests in the Deanery to deliver the homily as well as himself. I find it very inclusive. He clearly has a good technical team in the parish.” The link is: http://derbycatholiclive.co.uk
Masses attended
Parishioners have “attended Mass” as follows:
Do you have any more to add to this list?
You will remember that, in the days before lockdown, Mass was said at 7.00pm each Wednesday evening in Barrow. Everyone in the parish was welcome, though inevitably, perhaps, those who attended were mostly Barrow residents. Over the last eight weeks they have tried to maintain the sense of community worship by “coming together” on a Wednesday evening at 7.00pm to pray or “attend Mass” together. All parishioners are, of course, welcome to join in this communal worship and you are all encouraged to suggest intentions for which everyone might pray.
Bidding Prayers:
You will remember that, at the end of the Bidding Prayers each Sunday, the reader asks, “Does anyone have any other intentions?” Most weeks this question is followed by silence, but occasionally one of the congregation will make a contribution. I think that some people must feel a little daunted at the prospect of speaking up in front of everyone else, but now we can change all that. If you have a prayer intention, no matter how “trivial” it might seem, please do not hesitate to let me know and I shall include it in next week’s newsletter. This can be personalised or anonymous, as you wish.
This week’s prayer intentions include:
Let us all pray a hymn together:
If we all were to read (or sing) the parish “favourite of the week” what a great way it would be of reminding us of the community to which we belong. Some parishioners will remember the Rosary Crusade of Fr Patrick Peyton in the 1950s. He popularised the saying: “A family that prays together stays together”. We could easily adapt this to read: “A parish that prays together stays together”. Let’s give it a try. A favourite of more than one parishioner is an appropriate hymn for Pentecost is “Come from the North, giver of life”.
Come from the North, giver of life,
breathe on us now, Spirit of Christ.
Give us your strength, our faith renew
that we may hold to what is true.
Come from the South, like a caress,
Spirit of love and tenderness.
Help us to be patient and kind,
opening our hearts to all mankind.
Come from the East, Wisdom’s own breath,
that we may know our inner selves.
Teach us to pray deep in the heart,
and perfect peace to us impart.
Come from the West, as the light fades,
Sprit who guides through darkest shades.
And when our time on earth is done,
on wings of joy, then bear us home.
What is your favourite hymn?Let us know and we shall publish it in the next newsletter.
Sick List: Please continue to pray for the following members of our parish: Bernard Moyers, Patrick Hodgson, Tod Smith, Angela Doyle, Ida De Melo, Maurice Nixon, Eva Shirreffs, Stefania Stasior, Irene Pallot.
Anniversaries:
Let us remember in our prayers those parishioners whose anniversaries occur in the coming week:
3rdJune: Evelyn Wallace (1981)
6thJune: Barbara Nixon (2017)
May their souls and the souls of all the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Recommended viewing:
A parishioner (altar server, moustache, Sheffield United supporter) recommends the BBC series “Retreat : meditations from a monastery” a three part series which goes in search of inner peace in three monasteries around Britain, (Downside Abbey, Pluscarden Abbey and Belmont Abbey) and provides a welcome retreat from the hectic pace of our daily lives. This is available on the i Player and the first episode is available until June 1st.
Unusual present idea:
I was sent a link to the “Holy Socks” website: http://www.holysocks.co.ukWhat are Holy Socks? They’re socks with a story to tell - Biblical stories. They bring a serious message and do it, often with humour, but always with depth and thoughtfulness. The designs illustrate Biblical verses, stories or characters and they come in a leaflet with an original story, poem or meditation inspired by the design.
Youth Group Quiz:
The Youth Group held a Fancy Dress Quiz over Zoom on Saturday 23rdMay hosted by Grace Jarkulisz aka Smidge (from the movie Trolls). Everyone, including appearances from the Stickman (Isla Boland), Harry Potter (Hugh Jinks) and the chimney sweep Bert from Mary Poppins (Caitlin Banks) to name a few, had fun completing the imaginative, laughter-inducing rounds. From guessing the dressed-up characters to dashing about the house in a race to collect silly household objects including the lesser-spotted toilet roll and the currently widely-used teabag. Finally, the children thoroughly enjoyed guessing ‘the baby photos’ of their parents before sharing a prayer together. All in all a great quiz. Thank you Grace, we cannot wait for this Saturday’s quiz. (Reporter: Isaac Banks) There are some lovely photos on the parish website (https://www.saintgregorysileby.org/youth-group-quiz.html)
Newsletter typos (but not this newsletter!):
The following announcements apparently appeared in newsletters from around the world:
You may have read the report about Matty, a young pupil of De Lisle (and formerly Bishop Ellis). A friend of the family has set up a “Go Fund Me” page to raise funds for this brave young lad. More details can be found on: https://www.gofundme.com/f/memories-for-matty?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet
You may feel moved to make a personal donation. Fr John has authorised a donation to be made on behalf of the parish.
QUIZ
Pentecost Sunday
Mindful of what we read in the Acts of the Apostles in today’s First Reading and also of the universality of the Church, and how often around the world the formula “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” is used, can you guess which language is being used to express these words?
The fifteen languages are:
Portuguese, German, Italian, Danish, Welsh, Dutch, French, Afrikaans, Polish, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Arabic, Bengali, Greek.
Which language is which?
Answers at the bottom – no cheating!
1. German 2. Welsh 3. French 4. Afrikaans 5. Polish 6. Spanish 7. Portuguese 8. Russian 9. Vietnamese 10. Danish 11. Arabic 12. Bengali 13. Dutch 14. Greek 15. Italian.
Sunday Readings
First Reading 1 Acts 2:1-11
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travellers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”
Second Reading 2 1 Cor 12:3B-7, 12-13
Brothers and sisters: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Sequence
Holy Spirit, Lord of light,
From thy clear celestial height
Thy pure beaming radiance give,
Come, thou Father of the poor,
Come with treasures which endure,
Come, thou light of all that live.
Thou, of all consolers best,
Thou, the soul's delightful guest,
Dost refreshing peace bestow;
Thou in toil art comfort sweet,
Pleasant coolness in the heat,
Solace in the midst of woe
Light immortal, Light divine,
Visit thou these hearts of thine,
And our inmost being fill;
If thou take thy grace away.
Nothing pure in man will stay—
All his good is turn'd to ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew,
On our dryness pour thy dew,
Wash the stains of guilt away,
Bend the stubborn heart and will,
Melt the frozen, warm the chill,
Guide the steps that go astray.
Thou on those who evermore
Thee confess and thee adore,
In thy sevenfold gifts descend;
Give them comfort when they die,
Give them life with thee on high,
Give them joys which never end.
Gospel John 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Pentecost
After Jesus had ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, the apostles and disciples returned to the Holy City. They remained together in the Upper Room or Cenacle, the place where Jesus had appeared to them and which may well be called the first Christian church. About a hundred and twenty persons were assembled there. They chose Matthias as an apostle in place of the unhappy Judas; they prayed and waited for the Paraclete. Ten days had passed, it was Sunday, the seventh Sunday after the resurrection. At about nine o'clock in the morning, as they were together praying fervently, the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Note how all the great visible manifestations of Christ’s deity in his life occurred during the course of prayer. After his baptism, for instance, when Jesus was praying, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove; likewise, it was during prayer at night that the transfiguration took place on Tabor. Surely too it was while Mary was praying that Gabriel delivered his message, and the Holy Spirit overshadowed her. Pentecost followed precedent. The small community of Christians had prepared themselves through prayer for the coming of the Paraclete. The same is true at Mass today, every day; through prayer we ready our souls for the advent of the Spirit. The descent upon the apostles was internal and invisible in nature although accompanied by certain visible phenomena. There came a mighty roar, like the onrush of a violent wind. It came suddenly, from heaven; but unlike storms that strike a structure from without, this one penetrated and filled the room where the disciples were gathered. Therefore it was not a natural wind, it was a miracle peculiar to the occasion. A second visible sign consisted of tongues of fire that descended upon each one present. These fiery tongues gave visible evidence that the Holy Spirit had descended upon them. Today at Mass, particularly at Holy Communion, the power of the Holy Spirit will come down upon us; fiery tongues will not be seen, but invisible tongues of fire will not be absent. There was still another external manifestation of the Holy Spirit; the apostles and disciples were enabled to speak various languages. After the roar of the wind many of Jerusalem's pilgrims hurried to the Cenacle. Pentecost was one of the three festivals which obliged all Jews to be present in Jerusalem. Jews from distant lands, and Jewish converts from paganism too, attended these feasts. As a result, a colourful crowd speaking a variety of languages surrounded the house. Now the apostles, who so shortly before had hid in fear behind locked doors, came forth and courageously walked among the multitude speaking to each in his native tongue. It was indeed amazing! Galileans, and multilingual? But the malicious too were present; they had the answer. Nothing marvellous at all! Those Galileans were simply drunk, and their drunken babble sounded like a foreign language! Peter showed no hesitation in answering the charge. None of their number, he said, was intoxicated; it was but nine o'clock in the morning, and at that hour men usually are sober. What the multitude saw was, in fact, the fulfilment of Joel's prophecy: In those days (of the Messiah), God will pour forth His Spirit upon men and they will prophesy. . . . Then the apostle pointed his words more directly against the accusers: they had killed Jesus, had nailed him to the Cross; but God had awakened him and after his departure to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit. The pilgrims who had heard Peter give this first pentecostal sermon "were pierced to the heart and said: Brethren, what shall we do? But Peter said to them: Repent and be baptised; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Three thousand responded. One final question: why the miracle of tongues? In answer, recall the story regarding the tower of Babel. Puffed up by pride, men attempted to build a tower that would touch the heavens. To punish their sin, God confused their speech. Sin causes confusion and division. Now Christ came to gather all men into his Church and thereby to unite them to himself. This should result in creating but one family of nations again. To this blessed state the miracle of tongues points. Yes, even we as individuals have a gift of tongues which all men can understand. It is the gift of love infused into us by the Holy Spirit. Love unites, love is a common language, by means of love we can speak to all nations.
Mary Mother of the Church
Pope Francis has decreed that the ancient devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Mother of the Church, be inserted into the Roman Calendar. The liturgical celebration, B. Mariæ Virginis, Ecclesiæ Matris, will be celebrated annually as a Memorial on the day after Pentecost.
By issuing the Decree on the celebration of the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, Pope Francis wishes to promote this devotion in order to “encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, religious and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine Marian piety”.
The decree reflects on the history of Marian theology in the Church’s liturgical tradition and the writings of the Church Fathers. It says Saint Augustine and Pope Saint Leo the Great both reflected on the Virgin Mary’s importance in the mystery of Christ. “In fact the former [St. Augustine] says that Mary is the mother of the members of Christ, because with charity she cooperated in the rebirth of the faithful into the Church, while the latter [St. Leo the Great] says that the birth of the Head is also the birth of the body, thus indicating that Mary is at once Mother of Christ, the Son of God, and mother of the members of his Mystical Body, which is the Church.” The decree says these reflections are a result of the “divine motherhood of Mary and from her intimate union in the work of the Redeemer." Scripture, the decree says, depicts Mary at the foot of the Cross (cf. John 19:25). There she became the Mother of the Church when she “accepted her Son’s testament of love and welcomed all people in the person of the beloved disciple as sons and daughters to be reborn unto life eternal.” In 1964, the decree says, Pope Paul VI “declared the Blessed Virgin Mary as ‘Mother of the Church, that is to say of all Christian people, the faithful as well as the pastors, who call her the most loving Mother’ and established that 'the Mother of God should be further honoured and invoked by the entire Christian people by this most tender of titles.’”
St. Charles Lwanga and Companions
Charles was one of twenty-two Ugandan martyrs who converted from paganism. He was baptised in November 1885, a year before his death, and became a moral leader. He was the chief of the royal pages and was considered the strongest athlete of the court. He was also known as "the most handsome man of the Kingdom of the Uganda." He instructed his friends in the Catholic Faith and he personally baptised boy pages. He inspired and encouraged his companions to remain chaste and faithful. He protected his companions, ages 13-30, from the immoral acts and homosexual demands of the Babandan ruler, Mwanga. Mwanga was a superstitious pagan king who originally was tolerant of Catholicism. However, his chief assistant, Katikiro, slowly convinced him that Christians were a threat to his rule. The premise was if these Christians would not bow to him, nor make sacrifices to their pagan god, nor pillage, massacre, nor make war, what would happen if his whole kingdom converted to Catholicism? When Charles was sentenced to death, he seemed very peaceful, one might even say, cheerful. He was to be executed by being burned to death. While the pyre was being prepared, he asked to be untied so that he could arrange the sticks. He then lay down upon them. When the executioner said that Charles would be burned slowly to death, Charles replied by saying that he was very glad to be dying for the True Faith. He made no cry of pain but just twisted and moaned, "Kotanda! (O my God!)." He was burned to death by Mwanga's order on June 3, 1886. Pope Paul VI canonized Charles Lwanga and his companions on June 22,1964. We celebrate his memorial on June 3rd on the Roman Calendar. Charles is the Patron of the African Youth of Catholic Action.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest
The Feast of Christ the Priest is a moveable liturgical feast celebrated annually on the first Thursday after Pentecost. Approval for this feast was first granted by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 1987. The feast focuses firstly on Jesus’ Priestly Office (Latin: Munus sacerdotale). He is considered the model for believers, and for the clergy in particular, with priests acting In persona Christi (“In the person of Christ”). The laity are thus urged to pray that priests would be more like Christ, the compassionate and trustworthy high priest (Hebrews 2:17), ever-living to intercede for humanity before The Father (Heb 7:25). The Second Vatican Council taught many things about the Priesthood of Christ, and sharing in that one Priesthood through the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Orders. This development has been reflected in many subsequent documents. One effective way to build upon this teaching is to establish the Feast of Christ the Priest more widely. What Pope Pius XI wrote about the feast in honour of Christ’s Kingly Office can be said just as truly about this feast in honour of Our Lord’s Priesthood: “For people are instructed in the truths of faith, and brought to appreciate the inner joys of religion far more effectually by the annual celebration of our sacred mysteries than by any official pronouncement of the teaching of the Church. Such pronouncements usually reach only a few and the more learned among the faithful; feasts reach them all; the former speak but once, the latter speak every year - in fact, forever.”
St Boniface
St. Boniface, a monk of Exeter, is one of the great figures of the Benedictine Order and of the monastic apostolate in the Middle Ages. Gregory II sent him to preach the Gospel in Germany. He evangelised Hesse, Saxony and Thuringia and became Archbishop of Mainz. He deservedly earned the title of Apostle of Germany, and Catholic Germany in our own times still venerates him as its father in the faith. He was put to death by the Frisians at Dokkum in 754 during the last of his missionary journeys. The famous abbey of Fulda, where his body lies, has remained the national shrine of Catholic Germany.
A Benedictine monk, he was chosen by divine Providence to become Germany's great apostle and patron. Boniface's first missionary endeavour proved unsuccessful (716). Before attempting a second he went to Rome and received papal authorisation (718). Under the holy bishop Willibrord he converted Frisia within a period of three years. On November 30, 722, Boniface was consecrated bishop by Pope Gregory II. In 724 he turned his attention to the Hessian people, among whom he continued his missionary activity with renewed zeal. On an eminence near the village of Geismar on the Eder, he felled a giant oak that the people honoured as the national sanctuary of the god Thor. Boniface used the wood to build a chapel in honour of St. Peter. This courageous act assured the eventual triumph of the Gospel in Germany. The resident clergy and the priests dwelling at the court, whose unworthy lives needed censure, were constantly creating difficulties. Nevertheless Boniface continued to labour quietly, discreetly. He prayed unceasingly, put his trust in God alone, recommended his work to the prayers of his spiritual brothers and sisters in England. And God did not abandon him. Conversions were amazingly numerous. In 732 Gregory III sent him the pallium, the insignia of the archiepiscopal dignity. Boniface now devoted his time and talent to the ecclesiastical organisation of the Church in Germany. He installed worthy bishops, set diocesan boundaries, promoted the spiritual life of the clergy and laity, held national synods (between 742 and 747), and in 744 founded the monastery of Fulda, which became a centre of religious life in central Germany. In 745 he chose Mayence for his archiepiscopal see, and affiliated to it thirteen dioceses. This completed the ecclesiastical organisation of Germany.
The final years of his busy life were spent, as were his earlier ones, in missionary activity. Word came to him in 754 that a part of Frisia had lapsed from the faith. He took leave of his priests and, sensing the approach of death, carried along a shroud. He was 74 years of age when with youthful enthusiasm he began the work of restoration, a mission he was not to complete. A band of semi-barbarous pagans overpowered and put him to death when he was about to administer confirmation to a group of neophytes at Dockum.
St Norbert
St. Norbert was born at Xanten near Cologne about the year 1080. As a young cleric he resided at the court of the Archbishop of Cologne and then at that of the emperor where he allowed himself to be influenced by the spirit of the world. Although a cleric, Norbert led a very worldly life for a number of years. The decisive change took place suddenly in 1115. While riding one day, he was overtaken by a thunderstorm. A flash of lightning struck the ground before him, the horse threw him, and he seemed to hear a voice upbraiding him for his conduct. As in the case of St. Paul, the experience wrought a complete transformation. Norbert decided to give away his property and income rights, and to lead a life of self-denial, devoting himself particularly to preaching. In 1120 he founded the Order of Premonstratensians (the first monastery was at Premontre) according to the rule of St. Augustine; approval came from Pope Honorius II in 1126. In 1125, he was named archbishop of Magdeburg. On July 13, 1126, Norbert entered the city and came barefoot to the cathedral. About to enter the archepiscopal palace, he was refused admission by the porter, who failed to recognise a bishop so poorly dressed. "You know me better and see me with clearer eyes than those who are forcing me to this palace. Poor and wretched man that I am, I should never have been assigned to this place," Norbert answered when the porter later sought his pardon. He died in 1134.
Mass online:
Several parishioners have used the link on the Home Page of the parish website which allows them to view Mass being celebrated at a variety of churches:
* The Cathedralin Nottingham on each day of the week. (https://www.churchservices.tv/nottinghamcathedral)
The schedule is as follows:
On Saturdays and Sundays: Mass at 10.00am
From Monday to Friday: Mass at 1.00pm
* Also on the parish website, an additional link has been added to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsinghamwhose new website provides live streaming 24/7 of Masses, Prayers (Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet), Exposition, Spiritual Readings and Talks. This is a rich source of material in these extraordinary times.(https://www.walsingham.org.uk/live-stream/)
* Mass celebrated daily by Pope Francis from the Vaticanis also available: http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html
* There is another excellent suggestion from Paul Carroll: St Alban’s & St Hugh’s, Derby. Daily and Sunday Masses are at 10.00am except for Thursday when Mass is at 7.00pm. Paul writes: “Fr David Cain has lay readers from their homes and deacons from their homes either reading the Gospel or delivering the Homily. He also uses other priests in the Deanery to deliver the homily as well as himself. I find it very inclusive. He clearly has a good technical team in the parish.” The link is: http://derbycatholiclive.co.uk
Masses attended
Parishioners have “attended Mass” as follows:
- St Barnabas Cathedral, Nottingham
- Walsingham
- St Joseph’s, Leicester
- CAFOD Mass on a Wednesday evening.
- St Peter’s, Brighton
- St Alban’s & St Hugh’s, Derby
- Sacred Heart, Rochdale
- St Anthony’s, Wythenshawe
- St Peter in Chains, Doncaster
- Shrewsbury Cathedral
- Santuario di Oropa, Italy
- Ta’ Pinu, Gozo
- St. Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast
- St. Gabriel’s, Viewpark, Uddington
Do you have any more to add to this list?
You will remember that, in the days before lockdown, Mass was said at 7.00pm each Wednesday evening in Barrow. Everyone in the parish was welcome, though inevitably, perhaps, those who attended were mostly Barrow residents. Over the last eight weeks they have tried to maintain the sense of community worship by “coming together” on a Wednesday evening at 7.00pm to pray or “attend Mass” together. All parishioners are, of course, welcome to join in this communal worship and you are all encouraged to suggest intentions for which everyone might pray.
Bidding Prayers:
You will remember that, at the end of the Bidding Prayers each Sunday, the reader asks, “Does anyone have any other intentions?” Most weeks this question is followed by silence, but occasionally one of the congregation will make a contribution. I think that some people must feel a little daunted at the prospect of speaking up in front of everyone else, but now we can change all that. If you have a prayer intention, no matter how “trivial” it might seem, please do not hesitate to let me know and I shall include it in next week’s newsletter. This can be personalised or anonymous, as you wish.
This week’s prayer intentions include:
- My Canadian friend, Jan Argo, who died on Friday (Kathryn)
- The mother of a fried, Mrs Goldby, who died last Sunday. (Rosemary)
Let us all pray a hymn together:
If we all were to read (or sing) the parish “favourite of the week” what a great way it would be of reminding us of the community to which we belong. Some parishioners will remember the Rosary Crusade of Fr Patrick Peyton in the 1950s. He popularised the saying: “A family that prays together stays together”. We could easily adapt this to read: “A parish that prays together stays together”. Let’s give it a try. A favourite of more than one parishioner is an appropriate hymn for Pentecost is “Come from the North, giver of life”.
Come from the North, giver of life,
breathe on us now, Spirit of Christ.
Give us your strength, our faith renew
that we may hold to what is true.
Come from the South, like a caress,
Spirit of love and tenderness.
Help us to be patient and kind,
opening our hearts to all mankind.
Come from the East, Wisdom’s own breath,
that we may know our inner selves.
Teach us to pray deep in the heart,
and perfect peace to us impart.
Come from the West, as the light fades,
Sprit who guides through darkest shades.
And when our time on earth is done,
on wings of joy, then bear us home.
What is your favourite hymn?Let us know and we shall publish it in the next newsletter.
Sick List: Please continue to pray for the following members of our parish: Bernard Moyers, Patrick Hodgson, Tod Smith, Angela Doyle, Ida De Melo, Maurice Nixon, Eva Shirreffs, Stefania Stasior, Irene Pallot.
Anniversaries:
Let us remember in our prayers those parishioners whose anniversaries occur in the coming week:
3rdJune: Evelyn Wallace (1981)
6thJune: Barbara Nixon (2017)
May their souls and the souls of all the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Recommended viewing:
A parishioner (altar server, moustache, Sheffield United supporter) recommends the BBC series “Retreat : meditations from a monastery” a three part series which goes in search of inner peace in three monasteries around Britain, (Downside Abbey, Pluscarden Abbey and Belmont Abbey) and provides a welcome retreat from the hectic pace of our daily lives. This is available on the i Player and the first episode is available until June 1st.
Unusual present idea:
I was sent a link to the “Holy Socks” website: http://www.holysocks.co.ukWhat are Holy Socks? They’re socks with a story to tell - Biblical stories. They bring a serious message and do it, often with humour, but always with depth and thoughtfulness. The designs illustrate Biblical verses, stories or characters and they come in a leaflet with an original story, poem or meditation inspired by the design.
Youth Group Quiz:
The Youth Group held a Fancy Dress Quiz over Zoom on Saturday 23rdMay hosted by Grace Jarkulisz aka Smidge (from the movie Trolls). Everyone, including appearances from the Stickman (Isla Boland), Harry Potter (Hugh Jinks) and the chimney sweep Bert from Mary Poppins (Caitlin Banks) to name a few, had fun completing the imaginative, laughter-inducing rounds. From guessing the dressed-up characters to dashing about the house in a race to collect silly household objects including the lesser-spotted toilet roll and the currently widely-used teabag. Finally, the children thoroughly enjoyed guessing ‘the baby photos’ of their parents before sharing a prayer together. All in all a great quiz. Thank you Grace, we cannot wait for this Saturday’s quiz. (Reporter: Isaac Banks) There are some lovely photos on the parish website (https://www.saintgregorysileby.org/youth-group-quiz.html)
Newsletter typos (but not this newsletter!):
The following announcements apparently appeared in newsletters from around the world:
- Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
- For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
- Next Thursday there will be try-outs for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
- Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
You may have read the report about Matty, a young pupil of De Lisle (and formerly Bishop Ellis). A friend of the family has set up a “Go Fund Me” page to raise funds for this brave young lad. More details can be found on: https://www.gofundme.com/f/memories-for-matty?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet
You may feel moved to make a personal donation. Fr John has authorised a donation to be made on behalf of the parish.
QUIZ
Pentecost Sunday
Mindful of what we read in the Acts of the Apostles in today’s First Reading and also of the universality of the Church, and how often around the world the formula “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” is used, can you guess which language is being used to express these words?
The fifteen languages are:
Portuguese, German, Italian, Danish, Welsh, Dutch, French, Afrikaans, Polish, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Arabic, Bengali, Greek.
Which language is which?
Answers at the bottom – no cheating!
- Im Namen des Vaters, des Sohnes und des heiligenGeistes
- yn enw'r tad mab a'r ysbryd sanctaidd
- Au nom du Père et du Fils et du Saint Esprit.
- in die naam van die vader en die seun en die heilige gees
- W imię Ojca i Syna i Ducha Świętego.Amen.
- En el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo
- Em nome do Pai, e do Filho e do Espírito Santo
- Во имя Отца и Сына и Святого Духа
- Nhân danh Cha... con... và Thánh thần
- i faderens og sønens og den hellige ånds navn
- بإسمالأبوالإبنوالروحالقدس
- পিতা, পুত্রএবংপবিত্রআত্মারনামে
- In de naam van de Vader, en de Zoon, en van de Heilige Geest
- στο όνομα του πατέρα και του γιου και του ιερού πνεύματος
- Nel nome del Padre e del Figlio e dello Spirito Santo
1. German 2. Welsh 3. French 4. Afrikaans 5. Polish 6. Spanish 7. Portuguese 8. Russian 9. Vietnamese 10. Danish 11. Arabic 12. Bengali 13. Dutch 14. Greek 15. Italian.
